DURHAM, N.H. - Jenn Wakefield (Pickering, Ontario) and Sam Faber (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) netted first-period goals one minute apart to lead the fourth-ranked University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team to Sunday afternoon's 2-1 non-conference victory against Clarkson University at the Whittemore Center.
UNH, with a weekend sweep of ECAC foes - the Wildcats were 3-2 victors vs. sixth-ranked St. Lawrence University on Saturday, improves to 4-0-2. Clarkson, also defeated by a 2-1 score Saturday at Boston University, is now 0-3-1.
Wakefield scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season - and extended her goal-scoring streak to five games - at 10:19 of the opening stanza. Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.) initiated the rush with a pass from the defensive zone to Angela Taylor (Paisley, Scotland) at the opposite blue line. Taylor carried the puck down the left side of the slot and centered back to Kelly Paton (Woodstock, Ontario). Paton quickly moved the puck to the right circle, where Wakefield lifted a shot into the upper-right corner of the net.
Clarkson responded with pressure and had a goal waved off because the play was whistled dead for a covered puck by UNH goaltender Kayley Herman (Weyburn, Saskatchewan) at 11:11.
The Wildcats won the ensuing faceoff and Faber broke free through the neutral zone on the right wing. She was tripped by a backchecking defender and the 'Cats were awarded a penalty shot just eight seconds after the Golden Knights thought they had tied the score. Faber skated down the slot, deked CU goalie Eve Grandmont-Berube and placed a shot between her leg pads to give UNH a 2-0 lead at 11:19.
Clarkson had a 5x3 power play for the last 10 seconds of the first period and the opening 32 seconds of the second stanza, but was unable to get a shot on goal.
New Hampshire had a power play for 4:39 midway through the middle period when the visitors were whistled for a major infraction. The 'Cats could not sustain pressure, however, despite registering five shots during that skater advantage.
The Golden Knights went on their seventh power play of the game just 16 seconds into the final frame but managed just one shot against UNH's penalty kill in that two-minute span.
Shortly thereafter, Marie-Jo Gaudet lifted Clarkson within 2-1 when she lifted a backhander into the net from deep in the left circle at 3:38.
The visitors went back on the power play just four seconds later and yet another UNH penalty at 5:25 gave CU a two-skater advantage for 17 seconds. Another strong penalty kill by the 'Cats did not yield a shot in that span of 3:43.
Herman made one of her stronger saves with 8:45 remaining. With Clarkson on the power play, a UNH turnover in its defensive zone gave the puck to Brittany Mulligan in the slot. Mulligan quickly fired on net but was denied by Herman, and that proved to be the Golden Knights' last shot of the game.
The Wildcats went on their fourth power play at 14:36, and moments later Faber's centering pass from deep on the left wing went through the goal mouth and caromed off the right post. Micaela Long (South Boston, Mass.) collected the rebound in the slot and lifted the puck over the crossbar.
Herman made 11 of her 18 saves in the first period. Grandmont-Berube made 10 saves in both the second and third to finish with 25.
Wakefield and Paton have recorded a point in all six games this season.
UNH went 0-for-5 on the power play and Clarkson was 0-for-10.
New Hampshire returns to action Oct. 23 (7 p.m.) at Boston University. The Wildcats' next home game is Oct. 25 (5 p.m.) against Yale University. Tickets are available at the Whittemore Center Box Office, through TicketMaster or online at www.unhwildcats.com.